Dispersant and Oil Monitoring in the Deepwater Horizon Spill

This book examines the issues raised by the use of dispersants in the Deepwater Horizon spill. Dispersants change the distribution, not the amount, of oil within a marine environment. They are chemicals typically applied directly to oil on the water surface in order to break the oil into small droplets that can then mix with water below the surface. Discussed in this compilation is how well the government handled the dispersant issues it faced in the absence of necessary scientific information and pursuant to a regulatory regime that had failed to anticipate this kind of problem, and in light of lessons learned from this experience, how government procedures and existing laws might be improved to allow for sounder decisions regarding the use of dispersants in the future.